Steerable and/or Radially Asymmetric Intrasaccular Aneurysm Occlusion Devices
This invention is an intrasaccular aneurysm occlusion device with an expandable mesh which is inserted and expanded within an aneurysm sac. The expandable mesh can be steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by moving a joint, sliding catheter sections, pulling or pushing wires, detaching constraints, or filling chambers in the mesh with embolic material. There can be a plurality of non-central openings with remotely-controllable valves in the expandable mesh through which embolic material is inserted into the aneurysm sac.
1 . An intrasaccular aneurysm occlusion device comprising:
an expandable mesh that is configured to be inserted into an aneurysm sac;
embolic members or material that are inserted into the aneurysm sac; and
a catheter through which the expandable mesh and/or the embolic members or material are delivered to the aneurysm sac.
2 . The device in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a distal end portion of the catheter and a pivoting and/or rotating joint between the distal end portion and the rest of the catheter, and wherein the expandable mesh is steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by pivoting and/or rotating the joint.
3 . The device in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a first partially-circumferential section of the catheter and a second partially-circumferential section of the catheter, wherein the expandable mesh is steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by sliding the first partially-circumferential section relative to the second partially-circumferential section.
4 . The device in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a plurality of wires or cords which are attached to different locations on the expandable mesh, wherein the expandable mesh is steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by selectively pulling, pushing, or rotating a subset of one or more wires or cords in the plurality of wires or cords.
5 . The device in claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a plurality of detachable constraints on the expandable mesh which constrain radial expansion of the expandable mesh, and wherein the expandable mesh is steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by selective detachment of a subset of one or more of the detachable constraints.
6 . The device in claim 1 wherein the expandable mesh has two or more layers, wherein the expandable has gaps or chambers between mesh layers, and wherein the expandable mesh is steered in a selected direction and/or expanded in a radially-asymmetric manner by selectively filling a subset of one or more of the gaps or chambers with embolic members or material.
7 . The device in claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of openings with valves in the expandable mesh, wherein selected valves can be opened or closed by a device operator, and wherein embolic members or material are inserted into the aneurysm sac through a subset of one or more selected openings whose valves have been opened by the device operator.
8 . The device in claim 7 wherein the plurality of openings includes a plurality of non-central openings.
9 . The device in claim 1 wherein the expandable mesh is a composite mesh which further comprises a proximal-to-distal series of connected expandable meshes.
10 . The device in claim 1 wherein the expandable mesh further comprises a proximal-to-distal series of lobes or undulations created by radially-constraining a continuous tubular mesh at multiple longitudinal locations.
11 . An intrasaccular aneurysm occlusion device comprising:
a flexible net or mesh that is inserted into an aneurysm sac;
an expandable band or ring that is inserted into the aneurysm sac, wherein the expandable band or ring spans a circumference of the flexible net or mesh;
embolic members or material which are inserted into the flexible net or mesh; and
a catheter through which the flexible net or mesh, the expandable band or ring, and/or the embolic members or material are delivered to the aneurysm sac.
12 . The device in claim 11 wherein the expandable band or ring is outside the flexible net or mesh.
13 . The device in claim 11 wherein the expandable band or ring is inside the flexible net or mesh.
14 . The device in claim 11 wherein the expandable band or ring has a proximal-to-distal width which is between 5% and 20% of a proximal-to-distal distance from a neck of the aneurysm to the peak of the dome of the aneurysm.
15 . The device in claim 11 wherein there is an opening in the flexible net or mesh through which embolic members or material are inserted into the flexible net or mesh.
16 . An intrasaccular aneurysm occlusion device comprising:
an expandable mesh that is inserted into an aneurysm sac; wherein the expandable mesh is radially expanded within the aneurysm sac at a first time into a first configuration having a convex shape; wherein the expandable mesh is collapsed, compressed, and/or inverted within the aneurysm sac at a second time into a second configuration having a concave shape; wherein the expandable mesh further comprises a flexible annular section or band which spans a circumference of the expandable mesh; wherein the flexible annular section of band is more flexible and/or elastic than the rest of the expandable mesh; wherein a first portion of the expandable mesh is distal relative to the flexible annular section or band in the first configuration; wherein a second portion of the expandable mesh is proximal relative to the flexible annular section or band in the first configuration; wherein the first portion of the expandable mesh is collapsed, compressed, and/or inverted into the second portion of the expandable mesh when the expandable mesh is changed from the first configuration to the second configuration; wherein both the first portion of the expandable mesh and the second portion of the expandable mesh are proximal relative to the flexible annular section or band in the second configuration;
embolic members or material that are inserted into portions of the aneurysm sac which are distal relative to the expandable mesh; wherein pressure from accumulation of the embolic members or material collapses, compresses, and/or inverts the first portion of the expandable mesh into the second portion of the expandable mesh; and
one or more catheters which deliver the expandable mesh and/or the embolic members or material to the aneurysm sac.
17 . The device in claim 16 wherein the flexible annular section or band comprises between 2% and 10% of the expandable mesh.
18 . The device in claim 16 wherein the flexible annular section or band comprises between 5% and 20% of the expandable mesh.
19 . The device in claim 16 wherein mesh components in the flexible annular section are more flexible, more elastic, thinner, smaller, and/or more-sparsely woven or braided than mesh components in the rest of the expandable mesh.
20 . The device in claim 19 wherein the mesh components are woven or braided wires, tubes, or filaments.